Please explain..

Why am I expected to waive off any money less than Rs 10 , to auto drivers , street vendors and service providers ? Is it wrong on my part to wait or ask for my money ? Does that mean I am money minded ? Does that mean I am a miser ? Does that mean I am not BIG at heart ? Is it the only and the right way to show my generousity ? Why am looked with a strange hatred when I do so ? Please explain..

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Even though i agree with Stupidosaur, i must add that there are two concepts at play here –

First, each year our currency loses value (accross the globe, since time immemorial). We measure this value erosion using “inflation”. Simply put – if today’s annual inflation number is 10%, the purchasing power of a 110 rupee note next year is the same as the purchasing power of a 100 rupees note today. So the only way today’s 100 rupee note can retain its purchasing power next year is by investing it at an annual interest rate of 10% (or more).

Second, service providers/companies research how much money a normal customer will be comfortable in paying (without much thinking) in exchange of a product irrespective of the product’s actual money value. This is another way of making the extra buck… by charging what the customer will not mind paying anyway rather than charging what the product is actually worth. I am sure the people you mentioned are doing the same…

20 Years ago, i bought tamarind candies @ 20 for a rupee. Now i pay 10 rupees for the same 20 candies. Although tamarinds still grow free in the candy-maker’s backyard but the purchasing power of my 1 rupee now is close to zero. Whats worse is that the purchasing power of my 10 rupee note today is the same as 1 rupee note was 20 years ago.

Now I realize the importance of Bank of America’s ‘Keep the Change’ Offer currently going on the United States. Where the bank rounds up any credit card purchase and deposits the difference in the users Bank Account. So if you make a credit card purchase of $9.95, they will deposit $0.05 in your bank account.

Our auto and sabzi walas are as smart as one of the world’s biggest bank by ‘keeping the change’! 😉

It’s you money, a result of hard work and sacrifices, and you should keep it. Calculate the number of seconds that you have been away from your loved ones to earn the money that is expected to be waived off… and words like miser and money minded will not matter anymore!

I agree with you on this one as well!! I give exact change to auto drivers! my arugument – will u waive it off for me? no, right – so neither will I!! Unless its raining or I don’t have change – only then – do I let that 1 Rupee or 50 Paisa go…

Hey, I think thats the way it should be.. You were absolutely right in demanding ‘your’ money back. I would never ask anyone to be paid less than he deserves, and so it is my right to not to be forced into paying more than what is meant. Good work!

Went to Spar, the swanky hypermarket and lost our valet parking ticket. They claimed Rs.200 fine before handing over the keys. I noticed he gave me a “receipt” made on a blank piece of paper, instead of a regular booklet with counterfoil and stuff. I said Rs.200 sounds too high, considering we blow Rs.2000 on an average visit to Spar, to which he replied just now 2 more people paid Rs.200 and took their keys. I said that’s not surprising, considering the chaos at billing on weekends.

I asked him to show me a rule book that says the fine is Rs.200 and, moron that he was, he did. It said the fine for lost valet ticket is Rs.100. When accosted with the truth, he claimed to misunderstand that I lost my parking ticket. The fine for the latter is Rs.200. He said I can pay only Rs.100 and leave.

They had obviously been ripping off Rs.100 from people who do not suspect places like Spar to cheat over such trivial issues, or do not bother to double-check rules, adding up to a cosy sum. Worse, the paper receipt means even the legitimate Rs.100 is not going into the company coffers. That would explain why all the drivers and attendants came together menacingly to go “Yen Proaablem saar, he saying na give Rs.100. Then why you shouting?”

Cubby was running a fever and we were already quite late. I had to leave without lodging a complaint or getting their names. I felt terrible after wards, knowing that true development will evade India till consumers continue to to be lazy about these Rs.10 and Rs.100. What gave me a sleepless night was the impunity and arrogance with which those jokers were able to hold their head high, despite being caught “stealing”.

I think this is wrong to expect someone to give you money for something which you have not worked for, unless there is a custom of giving tips. But to street vendors, never heard of that. Don’t bother.

Youi know that reminded me of something just now. A few years ago, whe we were in New Delhi. There was a man working at a grocery, from where we bought a lot of things, and he helped us transport the heavy grocery bags for us to our car, as asked by the owner. And hubby wanted to give him a small tip for it, as he knew such people don’t get paid as well for the hard work they do. But, he wasn’t ready to take a single penny. He refused, although hubby said, it is for his help, but no ways. I was really impressed.

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I go through the same dilemma…whether to leave the change with the person or wait for them to return it…but i have to admit they get it only when i am in a good mood!
Visiting your blog for the first time. Nice one…will keep coming back 🙂

[…] Take a bus! February 3, 2010 at 9:45 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment Now , I did a post recently about how I have become a fan of BMTC over the past few years. I am happy to announce that they are still living up to my trust. They have started a bus from near my house(1.5 kms) to my office Yay! I have reduced the use of autos further down , yeah you know how I have been hating them. […]